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$1.5M available in CRA as NSB program winds down

Published: Friday, June 14, 2013 at 5:11 p.m.

Last Modified: Saturday, June 15, 2013 at 3:23 p.m.

NEW SMYRNA BEACH — While the city's Community Redevelopment Agency won't sunset for another two years, signs are evident in the next fiscal budget that it's in the home stretch.

The nearly $1.57 million proposed CRA spending plan for fiscal 2013-14 has no money budgeted for any new capital projects or big-ticket grants for opportunity sites, said Emily Ollila, the city's assistant finance director.

Opportunity sites are defined as "high priority" properties for redevelopment that would provide a "maximum positive impact" to the district.

Previous opportunity site grants handed out through the CRA include the $400,000 given to renovate the old Pennysaver building and $475,000 to refurbish the old Badcock furniture building, both on Canal Street.

"We'll see what next year's budget brings, it's not likely but there might be a few dollars for grants left and those will probably be gone in the first quarter, if any at all," CRA Director Tony Otte said Friday.

The proposed CRA budget is a 37 percent decrease from the current fiscal year's budget of $2,489,308.

The CRA oversees and recommends distribution of tax dollars for the improvement of blighted areas throughout an established boundary that includes Canal Street, Flagler Avenue and Third Avenue business districts, as well as a section of the Historic Westside Neighborhood. It will sunset on May 9, 2015. The city has applied to Volusia County for a new CRA district that would have U.S. 1, known as Dixie Freeway in New Smyrna Beach, as its core.

With the current redevelopment district winding down, layoff notices have been tendered to a senior building inspector and a project manager in that department, said Human Resources Director Carol Hargy.

Those positions, which combined cost about $99,000 in salaries, will not be funded after July when a $1.4 million streetscape project is wrapped up. The project includes the installation of new sidewalks and lighting on both sides of Washington Street from Myrtle Avenue to North Dixie Freeway. The work on Washington Street also will include complete reconstruction of the drainage system there as well as new curbing, landscaping and irrigation.

Otte said his office is wrapping up its oversight of projects and that future construction, such as the planned expansion of the Alonzo "Babe" James Center — funded with $450,000 of CRA money — will be managed by the city's engineering department.

About $400,000 was set aside in the current CRA budget for potential capital improvements to the North Causeway. There is also about $185,000 allocated for infrastructure improvements and to provide utilities at several lots the CRA is planning to donate to a nonprofit agency to build affordable single-family homes in the Histroric Westside Neighborhood. The city has sent out a request for proposals for those lots.

"Whatever capital projects the CRA and the City Commission want to do and get this done before the sunset of the CRA, that's where we're going to put our focus," Otte said.

With CRA funds beginning to dwindle, the City Commission last September decided to cap funds for opportunity sites at $200,000. Commissioners, which comprise the CRA board along with two citizen members, decided in February to split evenly $214,623 remaining for opportunity site grants between a 63-bed assisted living facility planned for Washington Street and New Smyrna Harbor Marina, now under construction on the North Causeway. That development will feature 20 single-family homes that resemble Key West-style cottages, a marina, a seafood restaurant and tiki bar, a swimming pool and spa, as well as a two-story dry stack boat storage facility. Officials with both of those projects had initially requested more CRA money.

<p>NEW SMYRNA BEACH &mdash; While the city's Community Redevelopment Agency won't sunset for another two years, signs are evident in the next fiscal budget that it's in the home stretch. </p><p>The nearly $1.57 million proposed CRA spending plan for fiscal 2013-14 has no money budgeted for any new capital projects or big-ticket grants for opportunity sites, said Emily Ollila, the city's assistant finance director. </p><p>Opportunity sites are defined as "high priority" properties for redevelopment that would provide a "maximum positive impact" to the district. </p><p>Previous opportunity site grants handed out through the CRA include the $400,000 given to renovate the old Pennysaver building and $475,000 to refurbish the old Badcock furniture building, both on Canal Street. </p><p>"We'll see what next year's budget brings, it's not likely but there might be a few dollars for grants left and those will probably be gone in the first quarter, if any at all," CRA Director Tony Otte said Friday. </p><p>The proposed CRA budget is a 37 percent decrease from the current fiscal year's budget of $2,489,308. </p><p>The CRA oversees and recommends distribution of tax dollars for the improvement of blighted areas throughout an established boundary that includes Canal Street, Flagler Avenue and Third Avenue business districts, as well as a section of the Historic Westside Neighborhood. It will sunset on May 9, 2015. The city has applied to Volusia County for a new CRA district that would have U.S. 1, known as Dixie Freeway in New Smyrna Beach, as its core. </p><p>With the current redevelopment district winding down, layoff notices have been tendered to a senior building inspector and a project manager in that department, said Human Resources Director Carol Hargy. </p><p>Those positions, which combined cost about $99,000 in salaries, will not be funded after July when a $1.4 million streetscape project is wrapped up. The project includes the installation of new sidewalks and lighting on both sides of Washington Street from Myrtle Avenue to North Dixie Freeway. The work on Washington Street also will include complete reconstruction of the drainage system there as well as new curbing, landscaping and irrigation. </p><p>Otte said his office is wrapping up its oversight of projects and that future construction, such as the planned expansion of the Alonzo "Babe" James Center &mdash; funded with $450,000 of CRA money &mdash; will be managed by the city's engineering department. </p><p>About $400,000 was set aside in the current CRA budget for potential capital improvements to the North Causeway. There is also about $185,000 allocated for infrastructure improvements and to provide utilities at several lots the CRA is planning to donate to a nonprofit agency to build affordable single-family homes in the Histroric Westside Neighborhood. The city has sent out a request for proposals for those lots. </p><p>"Whatever capital projects the CRA and the City Commission want to do and get this done before the sunset of the CRA, that's where we're going to put our focus," Otte said. </p><p>With CRA funds beginning to dwindle, the City Commission last September decided to cap funds for opportunity sites at $200,000. Commissioners, which comprise the CRA board along with two citizen members, decided in February to split evenly $214,623 remaining for opportunity site grants between a 63-bed assisted living facility planned for Washington Street and New Smyrna Harbor Marina, now under construction on the North Causeway. That development will feature 20 single-family homes that resemble Key West-style cottages, a marina, a seafood restaurant and tiki bar, a swimming pool and spa, as well as a two-story dry stack boat storage facility. Officials with both of those projects had initially requested more CRA money.</p>